Crystal growth and properties of Yb : FAP laser crystal

A large and transparent Yb:FAP crystal with dimensions up to circle divide 30 mm x 85 mm has been grown by the Czochralski method. The preparation of the raw material has been investigated. X-ray power diffraction studies of Yb:FAP crystal confirm that the as-grown crystal is isostructural with the FAP crystal. The crystalline quality has been studied using X-ray rocking curve analysis. The segregation coefficient of Yb3+ in the Yb:FAP crystal has been also determined. Linear thermal expansion coefficients in [001] and [100] directions have been measured in the 30-800 degrees C temperature range. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sites structure and spectroscopic properties of Yb-doped and Yb, Na-codoped CaF2 laser crystals

For the first time, the effect of Na+ on crystal structure, valence state of Yb ions, spectroscopic properties of YbF3-doped CaF2 system was systematically studied. Na+ can greatly suppress the deoxidization of Yb3+ to Yb2+. Absorption and emission spectra showed codoping Na+ with different Na:Yb ratios can modulate the spectroscopy and photoluminescence properties of Yb3+ ions in CaF2 lattice in a large scope. The emission lifetime and quantum efficiency of Yb3+ in CaF2 were greatly enhanced by the codopant of Na+. The potential laser performances of the new Yb, Na-codoped CaF2 crystals were predicted. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nd：YAG透明陶瓷的烧成及其显微结构

由溶胶一凝胶／燃烧合成结合法合成了Nd：YAG(掺钕钇铝石榴石，neodymium—doped yttrium aluminium garnet)粉体，用真空烧结法制备了Nd：YAG透明陶瓷。研究了显微结构随烧结温度和保温时间的变化，并对透明陶瓷的晶界结构和成分分布进行了表征。随着烧结温度的提高和保温时间的延长，Nd：YAG陶瓷的密度增大，晶形发育完整，透过率提高。晶粒内部和晶界的化学组成基本相同。所制备的Nd：YAG透明陶瓷在激光工作波长1064nm的透过率达到75％。

Yb：Ca5（PO4）3F激光晶体的生长缺陷

采用提拉法生长了质量优异的Yb：Ca5（PO4）2F（Yb：FAP）晶体。运用化学腐蚀，光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜以及能量散射光谱仪观察了该晶体中的生长条纹和包裹物等宏观缺陷，以及晶体的位错腐蚀形貌、位错密度及其分布情况，同时观察了晶体中亚晶界的形态。由晶体中位错的径向变化以及生长条纹可知：晶体在生长过程中为微凸界面生长。高温下CaF2的挥发造成了在晶体生长后期熔体中组分偏离化学计量比，出现组分过冷，形成包裹物。且位错密度显著增加。Yb：FAP晶体的各向异性使得晶体在（10 10）面的位错蚀坑形状、大小以

掺Yb^3＋的氧化镧钇透明激光陶瓷的光谱特性

采用传统陶瓷烧结工艺，在无压还原气氛中低温制备了Yb^3＋掺杂量高达10％（按摩尔计）的透明性良好的氧化镧钇激光陶瓷，研究了其在室温的吸收光谱、发射光谱以及荧光寿命。结果表明：掺Yb^3＋氧化镧钇透明激光陶瓷具有宽的吸收和发射光谱以及长的荧光寿命。吸收峰位于902，942nm和968nm处，吸收截面分别为0.31×10^-20,0.45×10^-20cm^2和0.53×10^-20cm2：主发射峰位于1032nm和1075nm处，发射截面分别为1.05×10^-20cm^2和0.87×10^-20cm ^

Yb:Y2-2xLa2xO3激光透明陶瓷的光谱性能

It was first reported the spectral properties of a low-temperature sintered transparent Yb: Y2-2x La-2x O-3 laser ceramics. Yb: Y2-2x La-2x O-3 laser ceramics have broad absorption band and large absorption cross- section of 4.0 x 10(-20) cm(2) at wavelengths 977nm of the highest absorption peak. Its fluorescence lifetime is 1.1 ms, and the emission cross-sections are 1.0 x 10(-20) cm(2) and 0.7 x 10(-20) cm(2) at wavelengths 1033nm and 1077nm, respectively. All the optical properties are similar to those of single crystals.

激光二极管抽运Na，Yb：CaF2晶体实现低阈值激光输出

与Nd^3+相比，Yb^3+具有能级结构简单，本征量子缺陷低(<0．1)，辐射量子效率高，而且吸收和发射光谱非常宽，适合激光二极管(LD)抽运宽带调谐激光运转和超短脉冲的产生。特别是掺Yb晶体适合高亮度的InGaAs激光二极管抽运，从而成为近年来激光二极管抽运全固态激光器中备受关注的增益介质。但是掺Yb激光晶体属三能级系统，抽运阈值普遍较高。因此，寻找低阈值、实用化掺Yb晶体介质是近年来激光晶体的重要发展方向．

激光二极管抽运Na，Yb共掺CaF2晶体自调Q激光特性的研究

利用激光二极管（LD）抽运新型Na．Yb共掺CaF2（Na．Yb：CaF2）晶体，获得了1．05μm的自调Q激光输出。利用透射率1％的耦合输出镜，得到最低激光输出的抽运阈值功率仅为70mW。在透射率为2％的输出镜条件下，得到最大输出激光功率为390mw，此时激光的斜度效率达到20%。实验详细记录了自调Q脉冲的周期和宽度随抽运功率的变化关系，随着抽运功率的增加，自调Q脉冲的周期和宽度呈指数衰减。同时，还采用单棱镜进行光谱调谐实验，获得了1036～1059nm的自调Q激光调谐输出。

Tm：YAG晶体的研究进展

Tm：YAG晶体是性能优异的LD泵浦激光晶体。本文总结了Tm：YAG晶体的生长、光谱性质以及激光性能的研究和发展，并指出了Tm：YAG晶体发展中需要解决的问题。

Yb：FAP晶体生长

采用中频感应提拉法生长了Yb：FAP晶体。对晶体生长中影响晶体质量的因素特别是原料的处理、CaF2的挥发等进行了研究和讨论。运用ICP-AES测定Yb^3＋离子在Yb：FAP晶体中的分凝系数。对Yb：FAP晶体进行了高分辨X射线的四圆衍射实验，结果表明晶体具有比较高的晶格完整性。

Optimization of thermal environment during crystal growth of large-sized Nd : YAG by Temperature Gradient Technique

A finite-element model is employed to analysis the thermal environments in Temperature Gradient Technique (TGT) furnace during the growth of large-sized Nd:YAG crystal. The obtained results show that when the crucible is located at the lower position inside of the heater, a flatter solid-liquid interface is established, which makes it easier to obtain the core-free Nd:YAG crystal. Meanwhile, the lower crucible position can induce higher axial temperature gradient, which is beneficial to the release of latent heat. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diode-pumped passively q-switched Nd : YAG ceramic laser with a Cr4+: YAG crystal-satiable absorber

Transparent polycrystalline Nd:YAG ceramics were fabricated by solid-state reactive sintering a mixture of commercial Al2O3,Y2O3, and Nd2O3 powders. The powders were mixed in ethanol and doped with 0.5 wt% tetraethoxysilane, dried, and pressed. Pressed samples were sintered at 1750 degrees C in vacuum. Transparent fully dense samples with average grain sizes of 10 mu m were obtained. The 1 at.% Nd:YAG ceramic was used to research passively Q-switched laser output with a Cr4+:YAG crystal as a saturable absorber. An average output power of 94 mW with a pulse width of 50 ns was obtained when the incident pump power was 750 mW. The slope efficiency was 13%. The pulse energy is 5 mu J, and the peak power is about 100 W.

Growth and spectroscopic characteristics of Yb : LPS single crystal

For the first time, a high optical quality Yb3+-doped lutetium pyrosilicate laser crystal Lu2Si2O7 (LPS) was grown by the Czochralski (Cz) method. The segregation coefficient of ytterbium ion in Yb:LPS crystal detected by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (TCP-AES) method is equal to 0.847. X-ray powder diffraction result confirms the C2/m phase monoclinic space group of the grown crystal and the peaks corresponding to different phases were indexed. The absorption and fluorescence spectra, as well as fluorescence decay lifetime of Yb3+ ion in LPS have been investigated. The absorption and fluorescence cross-sections of the transitions F-2(7/2) <-> F-2(5/2) of Yb3+ ion in LPS crystal have been determined. The advantages of the Yb:LPS crystal including high crystal quality, quasi-four-level laser operating scheme, high absorption cross-sections (1.33 x 10(-2) cm(2)) and particularly broad emission bandwidth (similar to 62 nm) indicated that the Yb:LPS crystal seemed to be a promising candidate used as compact, efficient thin chip lasers when LD is pumped at 940 and 980 nm due to its low-symmetry monoclinic structure and single crystallographic site. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diode-pumped Yb : GSO femtosecond laser

Compact femtosecond laser operation of Yb:Gd2SiO5 (Yb:GSO) crystal was demonstrated under high-brightness diode-end-pumping. A semiconductor saturable absorption mirror was used to start passive mode-locking. Stable mode-locking could be realized near the emission bands around 1031, 1048, and 1088 nm, respectively. The mode-locked Yb: GSO laser could be tuned from one stable mode-locking band to another with adjustable pulse durations in the range 1 similar to 100 ps by slightly aligning laser cavity to allow laser oscillations at different central wavelengths. A pair of SF10 prisms was inserted into the laser cavity to compensate for the group velocity dispersion. The mode-locked pulses centered at 1031 nm were compressed to 343 fs under a typical operation situation with a maximum output power of 396 mW. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.